[jeep1977]

Anyone have a good way to convert a Deep Nuc into an all medium 8frame hive setup?

My Nuc supplier only supplies deeps, but I plan on using all mediums in my hive.

I've searched the forums, and the internets, but nothing seems to make sense.

Thanks for any help.

 

[concrete-bees]

Ive never tried this but it might work

take your nuc and place it where you want your hive then place a second nuc next to it - take the top off of the nuc and place a med with foundation on top of that - as the bees get crowded they should move up - once they do take the nuc from them

or just get a deep box and run your hive with one deep and the rest med - for the first year then in the next spring as the bees move up into the med for honey take the deep away and use is for a bait box !!!!!

seems there is always a reason to keep spare parts !!!

hope this gives you some ideas

 

[BigDru]

I have 8 frame hives. I started with a reg. deep Nuc., however instead of 8 frame med. I went with 8 frame deeps for my brood boxes and med for my honey supers. Has worked well for me.

 

[RayMarler]

I like the sound of concrete-bees idea.
Another way that might work is to stack two mediums, and put the nuc deeps in to the two mediums, filling in the empty space in both boxes with medium frames. The bees should expand into the medium frames. Rotate the deep frames up thru the stack as you add suppers, pulling them off when they get emptied of brood and filled with honey.

 

[jeep1977]

All good suggestions.

So let me see if I understand this Ray.

Here is how I would stack it initially..

Normal Top
Second - Medium (put the 5 deeps hanging here, add medium frames in the empty space)
Bottom - Medium (put mediums in the empty spaces that the deeps don't hang down to)
Bottom Board

Then, after expansion,

Third Medium - Rotate filled out deeps here, empty space put mediums
Second Medium - Mediums in the empty spots, hanging frames from third box hang here
Bottom Medium - All mediums

Do i got that right?

Will the bees fill the space between the deep and the bottom where it will be empty?

 

[RayMarler]

Yes, that's it. Keep in mind the bees like to store excess honey above the brood nest. The goal is to get the deeps up above the brood, so can be filled with honey to be removed later. As the bees build throughout the year, Keep rotating filled medium frames down and keep moving the deeps up, adding boxes when needed to give space. I'm suspecting you'll need it to be 4 to 5 mediums tall by fall.

OK, I'm thinking you only have mediums and don't have or want any deep boxes with frames. So now I'm thinking a slightly different way might be easier... Less management and will get the deeps out sooner...

Set up the double medium boxes, with deeps in them and fill spaces with foundation frames or drawn frames or whatever you're using. Let them get this all filled and used...

When it's time to add a box, then remove all the medium frames, and put them in the new medium box. Make sure the queen is in this box, leaving the spaces empty in the two mediums with the deep frames...

Put an excluder over the two bottom mediums with the deep frames in it, and put your new box now with queen over that, and add another medium of frames on top...

Close off the bottom entrance, and make an entrance above the excluder using shims over the excluder, or I just drill a 3/4" hole in middle of front side of the box that is above excluder. After 6 days, check the bottom deeps for queen cells and destroy if any are found... or...

**if you want to now make a split, instead of destroying any queen cells, just remove the top two mediums with queen to a new location. They will build up to a nice hive by years end. The two mediums with deep frames with queen cells, will now have the work force so fill in spaces with medium frames or with deeps if you like, and they'll raise a queen and give you another hive. If you do not want this new split, then just destroy the queen cells and don't make the split, and continue below...

As the brood emerges out of the deep frames on the bottom, they'll abandon the combs and move up to the queen above. The bees will empty the frames from below and move any stores up above to the brood nest or above the nest. After three weeks, any brood will be all emerged and you can remove the bottom two mediums with deep frames from the hive stack.

Ok, I talk too much. Hope you got ideas from everyone's posts. Best of luck

 

[iwombat]

Concrete's idea of just running a deep until next year makes the most sense. If you ever want to get another nuc, you'll have that deep available too.

$10 (or whatever) on a deep will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

 

[rkr]

or just get a deep box and run your hive with one deep and the rest med - for the first year then in the next spring as the bees move up into the med for honey take the deep away and use is for a bait box !!!!!

That is exactly what I did. It worked out well for me. If you only get one deep and two/three mediums drawn out this year it should be OK. Though with 8 frame many people use 4 mediums.

In fact I took the deeps out of the stack today.
Now I have deeps for swarms, bait hives and such.

RKR

 

[Michael Bush]

Personally I'd buy a package. but you can cut them down or do a cut out or build a 3" tall shim for one side to put the deeps in the medium box. There is no pretty way to do it. But there are many ways that will basically work.

Michael